Igniting tip for cigarettes



March 13, 1945. M. FELDMAN ETAL 2,371,237

IGNITII'G TI}: FOR CIGARETTES AND THE LIKE I a 7119a Feb. 8, 194aINVENTORS. Mk;

A TI'ORNE Y Patented Mar. 13, 1945 I IGNITING TIP FOR CIGARETTES: AND

THE LIKE Max Feldman and Bernard M.'Feldman,

Detroit, Mich.

Application February 1943, Sean No. 475,102

1 Claim.

The present invention pertains to a novel striking or igniting tip forcigarettes and cigars. The

' principal object of the invention is to provide a tip or plug that caneasily be attached to cisarettes or cigars and ignited by rubbing on arough surface so that matches are not necessary. Such a deviceeliminates the inconvenience of carrying matches, can be lighted in thewind, need not produce a flame, and has considerable appeal as anovelty.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the tip or plug is formedas a head adapted to cover one end of the cigarette or cigar and has astem for insertion and anchorage in the cigarette or cigar. The head ismade of a suitable combustible material incorporated in a binder. Theusual match head compositions are suitable for this purpose and thegeneral character thereof is indicated below. The stem may be of thesame material or of a substance that disintegrates immediately onburning. Thus, the head is severed from the stern after it has burnedand served its purpose, the stem having been used merely as the anchor.In either case, the complete tips with anchors can be made very cheaply, in a mass molding process.

Another characteristic of the invention is that the head of the plug isof such size as to cover the end of a cigarette and prevent drying andshredding at this end.

The invention is fully disclosed by way of example in the followingdescription and in the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a sideelevation of a cigarette treated according to the invention;

Figure 2 isan enlarged view thereof and in section on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is an elevation of the igniting head;

Figure 4 is anend view thereof;

Figure 5 is an elevation of a modified form of head;

Figures 6 and '7 are elevations of further modifications;

Figure 8 is a section on the line 8 -8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is an elevation, partly in section, of an igniting head formedby dipping the cigarette;

Figure 10 is an elevation, partly in section, of still another form ofhead, and

Figure 11 is a perspective view of a cigarette box modified for use withthe invention.

Reference to these views will now be made by use of like characterswhich are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In Figures 1 and 2 is shown a cigarette I of conventional constructionand design. Although the invention is described in connection withcigarettes for convenience it will be understood that the invention issimilarly applicable to cigars of the regular sizes or of midget size.

One form of the igniting head or plug is shown in Figures 3 and 4,isolated from the cigarette, and is shown inserted in the cigarette inFigures 1 and 2. The head proper is designated by the numeral 2 and isof any suitable pointed formation, in this case pyramidal. From the flatbottom 3 of the head extends'astem t terminating in a suitable anchor 5,the function of which will presentlyappear.

The head 2 consists of a material or mixture which ignites readily byfriction, for example, any of the compositions used for match heads;While many such compositions are well known in the art, a few of themmay be mentioned. The composition consists of a combustion agent whichoxidizes readily with liberation of heat, incorporated with a binderwhich makes a co herent and moldable mass. The oxidizing agent may be,for example, potassium chlorate, sulphur, manganese dioxide, potassiumdichromate or the like. The binder may consist of plaster of Paris,glue, starch, flour, gelatine, glycerine, or the like.

The stem 4 and anchor 5 may consist of the same material as the head 2and molded integrally therewith, or it may be a difierent sub stancewhich, however, must be such as to disintegrate rapidly when heat isapplied. The cellulose fiber materials satisfy this requirement.

' When the stem is of a different material from the head, the parts aremade unitary by molding the head on the stem.

It will also be observed that the base 3 of the head is of such size asto cover the end of the cigarette. This protects the cigarette fromdrying and shredding at this end. The cigarette is lighted by strikingthe head on a suitable friction surface. The heat lights the end of thecigarette, after which any ash from the head will fall off or may beflicked ofi, inasmuch as the stem is of a material that readilydistintegrates, whether of the same or a different material, aspreviously pointed out.

The oxidizing materials mentioned above are of the so-called safety typeand can be ignited only on specially prepared surfaces. A surface ofthis character is prepared by coating with a fine paste of amorphousphosphorus and antimony sulphide, zinc oxide and plaster of Paris orsome other suitable binding material.

If it is desired to provide a, plug that will light when scratched .onany rough surface, sesqui sulphide of phosphorus is added to thecomposition from which the plug is made;

Figure 5 shows a modified construction in which the head 6 is ofsubstantially p ramidal shape and the sides concaved as at l. In Figure6 the head 8 is of the shape described in connection with the Figures 3and 4, but the stem 9 is tapered to a sharp point Ill .and has noanchor. In the construction shown in Figures 7 and 8, the head i l isgenerally conical with its surface concaved as at I2. The stem I3 is aseparate member with one end molded in the head as illustrated by thedotted line. This is a construction that maybe used when the stem is notof the same material as the head, as indicated above. The free end ofthestem is sharpened at 14 for insertion into the cigarette.

In the construction shown in Figure 9, the cigarette l 5 is dipped intothe combustible material and is thus formed with a head 16. The materialconstituting the head may be such as to ignite on a safety surface, oron any rough surface, as desired.

The plug shown in Figure 10 has a head I! similar to that shown inFigure 7, and the stem I8 is formed with a screw thread I 9. The stem ismaterial alteration of the package. It will be recognized also that thelength of the head is exaggerated for purposes of illustration.

As afurther modification, the stem of the plug may consist of tobacco,either as a shaped twig, or as a molded or compressed body of tobaccoparticles. The stem l3 of Figure '7 may, for example,.be s constitutedand molded into the head H as djes I Such a head would impart no foreigntaite or odor during smoking of the cigarette.

It may now be seen that the invention provides a striking or ignitinghead that may be inserted in the cigarette by a simple mechanicaloperation, the heads having been previously I formed ind mass moldingoperation. Not only do the heads do away with the necessity of matches,but they can easily be lighted in the wind and without showing a flame.The last named property is desirable in connection with blackouts. Anagreeable volatile material or incense may be incorporated in the headto avoid objectionable odors or to furnish a perfumed odor if sodesired.

Although specific embodiments of the invention have been described, itmay be understood that various alterations may be made in the detailswithout departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:

An igniting tip for a cigarette or the like comprising a head made of amaterial adapted to ignite with friction, a narrow stem extendingfromsaid head, and a conical anchoring member on the free end of saidstem, the point of said member being directed away from said head andthe base of said member extending laterally from said stem and beingdisposed between said point and said head.

MAX FELDMAN. BERNARD M. FELDMAN.

